Medicare Birthday Celebrations

HCAO Albany Celebrating Medicare Week of Action

Tabling at Saturday Market on Saturday, July 26 and walking around giving out birthday candles inserted in a paper holder with information relative to Medicare for All/single payer.

Sat. July 26 report: HCAO Albany handed out about 135 quarter page fliers impaled by a birthday candle with Happy Birthday Medicare followed by "imagine all Oregonians with Medicare," plus our name and local contact number.Contact Edie Orner

HCAO Central Oregon Celebrating Medicare Week of Action

Bend is holding Happy Birthday to Medicare on Friday, Aug. 1, in downtown Bend, in connection with their weekly peace vigil and the First Friday Art Walk.Contact Dave Stranahan

HCAO Eugene Celebrating Medicare Week of Action

We are celebrating Medicare's 49th. birthday!Grannies will sing their hearts out for health care. They only wish everyone in our country and especially Oregon had health care. Join the crowd of Health Care for All supporters August 5th at 6 p.m., waving in front of the Lane County Health Department, 7th and Charnelton!

Medicare for All would cover everyone and save the state of Oregon billions. Savings would come from reduced paperwork and negotiated drug prices. It would be enough savings to pay for high quality, comprehensive health benefits for all Oregonians

Following the Grannies enthusiastic singing, everyone will gather for monthly gathering at 7 p.m. at the First Methodist Church at 13th. and Charnelton. There will be Bill Moyer’s Film Considering Health Care Reform. Planning will continue for summer fairs, house parties and special events.

Do join us! Our campaign continues!

HCAO Douglas County

HCAO-Marion/Polk Medicare Birthday Celebration

On July 18-20, HCAO-Marion/Polk set up a booth at the Salem Art Fair in the free speech area next to the south gate entrance. We used the Portland office large HCAO banner as a back drop for our booth and made an 11X17 poster of the postcard to draw attention. We started with 100 color 49th Birthday Medicare cards asking for universal health care for everyone. These all were filled out by 1p.m, on the second day of the Fair. Because of the cost of color cards, we printed up 100 more black and white cards. We had 82 of these signed by 3 p.m. on the third day of the fair, as well as a list of volunteers. We told signers that these would be given to our legislators as we worked to pass a good health care for all bill. Our best quote to get people to stop was "Would you help us get health care for everyone?”

Two volunteers at our booth came from Silverton, and we have offered to help them at their Art fair or other event to put up a booth. It would be great if we had several thousand cards to give our Oregon legislators via Senator Dembrow.

HCAO Southwest Portland: HappyBirthdayMedicare!

What: Stop by before the Portland Park Concert in Wallace Park and pick up information about Health Care for All-Oregon and sign a statement of support. Popsicles and water available, too!Where: Wallace Park, 1600 NW 25th Ave, Portland, OR 97210When: Thursday, 31 Jul 2014, 5:30 PM

I am setting up some picnic tables with information. I made it a potluck picnic so I could talk to people before the concert starts. ( Portland Parks has free concerts in various parks all over Portland during the summer months). I am having a few people hand out flyers, information, and a sign up sheet before the concert. There will many young and older families that I hope to talk too. I am bringing Popsicles and water to entice a few people over to my table. It will be my first event for my district so I wanted it to be fun.

Will it be here next year?

The Alliance for Retired Americans and the Oregon State Council for Retired Citizens, with support from Health Care for All-Oregon Portland area are celebrating Medicare and Medicaid's 49th Birthdays with a special presentation and birthday cake. Speakers include Dr. Paul Gorman from OHSU and State Representatives Jennifer Williamson and Mitch Greenlick.

MEDICARE’S 49TH BIRTHDAY ACTION WEEK

To celebrate Medicare’s 49th birthday, support Medicare for All By Pat Berger, M.D. Wicked Local News (Brookline, Mass.), Aug. 1, 2013, Excerpt:“America now spends trillions on health care each year, and wastes at least a third of it on administration, profits from corporate entities, a fragmented system, and ineffective or unnecessary clinical care. Having one system that is accountable to the people, that is focused on quality patient care, and is based on medical need and not ability to pay, changes the whole vision of health care. Our health is not a commodity, it is a human right. Let’s remember Medicare’s birthday by working for Medicare for All in 2017!” From Physicians for National Health Program – PNHP.org

Healthcare-NowMedicareʼs Anniversary Organizing ToolkitIdeas and activities that advocates have used in the past to raise awareness about single-payer in their communities, and build their local organizing campaigns to win this important issue.

MEDICARE’S 49TH BIRTHDAY ACTION WEEK

A Week of Activities Promoting Health Care for All in Oregon

It is time to change world opinion about health care in Oregon and the United States. It is time for “Everybody in and Nobody out!” Look what’s on the Internet:Australian Medicare Birthday Party invitation excerpt...“We must be vigilant to ensure our Australian health system does not become an unjust, unfair system like the USA.”

HCAO Member Organizations, Caucuses, Local Action Groups and Supporters…What will you do to gain media attention when you celebrate and promote single payer health care in Oregon?

Use social media to gather and share stories about problems getting health care and the importance of single payer health care “Improved Medicare for All”. Stories can be anonymous

Host event/s around the state to celebrate the 49th birthday of U.S. Medicare with Health Care for All-Oregon Plan bill sponsor Senator Michael Dembrow and other legislative supporters

Hold a Medicare Townhall event or Health Care Forum in your community featuring elected officials and serve birthday cake

Partner with one of three Oregon Physicians for National Health Program chapters or Mainstreet Alliance of Oregon and local businesses and host an event with speakers, information booths, games, live music and birthday cake

Focus July letters to the editor campaign on Medicare and the Health Care for All-Oregon Plan

Hold a Medicare Birthday Party in the park with signature gathering. Serve cake, ice cream and punch. Circulate statements of support forms as you chat with folks about health care

Sponsor a special Medicare Birthday Commemoration Donation Campaign of $49 to Health Care for All-Oregon. Put donation link on website for on-line donations.

Carry signs and March, Rally, Honk & Wave on Corners, and what about a Flash Mob?

Sponsor faith group special programs and potlucks or birthday parties and tell why your faith tradition supports health care for all people

Include a post about Medicare’s Birthday and the need for health care for all people on your personal and organization’s Facebook or other social media outlet

Or create your own event. Make sure you connect celebrating Medicare’s birthday to health care for all people with a hook for the media! We will post information about your event on the Health Care for All-Oregon website www.hcao.org. Send it to: Cheryl Simpson, HCAO Mobilization Committee Chairperson. Have Fun!